


Fireworks above the Lake

by vivi1138



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Ballet Dancer Katsuki Yuuri, But more fluff than angst, Childhood Memories, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, If you've read Carrie you know how Victor's mother is, M/M, Orphanage, Sexuality Crisis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-06 02:51:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11027064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivi1138/pseuds/vivi1138
Summary: Victor, a sheltered student in Ethnology, who shares a house with Chris, discovers who he really is after a breakup with his long-time girlfriend. As he comes to terms with his sexuality, his best friend looks for new roommates to lower the cost of their rent.In Russia, Yuuri Katsuki and his adoptive brother prepare to move out of the country for their education - and they are looking for a place to live.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! 
> 
> I know. I have two multi chapters stories to focus on already. But inspiration is fleeting, and this story would not leave me alone.
> 
> This is kinda part of the Victuri In Your City prompt, but as it's not post-canon I didn't feel like it belonged in the Collection. If the creator reads this and thinks it does, I'd be glad to be part of it.
> 
> Before we start, I’m not anti-religion, I’m anti-extremism. This Victor escaped from his parents’ oppression, but it’ll take a while for him to heal so he's a bit shyer than canon-Victor. His parents and him are still in contact, so they will make an appearance in the story. A few of Victor’s experiences are inspired by what I witnessed from a few of my classmates who had religious extremists as parents. For some reason there were quite a lot of them in the area I lived in, or I just attracted them, I don't know. As a side note, I'm agnostic but studied Theology for a year in University (it's very interesting).
> 
> Otherwise, this is set in Switzerland. I chose the city I studied in so I know how the University looks and how it works, and I also chose the village I spent my weekends at with my parents. I also found out that the village merged with two others and has a different name today… I’ve been away from my country for 4 years and a place I went to all the time is gone already, what? I'm keeping the old name out of spite. How dare they change it in my absence :P
> 
> Characters are aged between 18 and 22
> 
> Languages spoken by the main characters:  
> Native level of French: Victor, Chris  
> Native level of Russian: Yuuri, Yuri  
> Business level of English: Chris, Yuuri, Victor, Yuri  
> Basic level of French: Yuri  
> Good level of French: Yuuri  
> Good level of Russian: Victor  
> Business level of Japanese: Yuuri, Yuri
> 
> (Also, in the ad presented in this chapter, I listed "Billag" in the bills. To clear things up, Billag is a TV license, and you have to pay it even if you don't own a TV, because you can watch TV on your phone and computer. It's insanely expensive and has to be renewed every year. To give you an idea, my rent when I was still living there was just 25 CHF higher)  
>  
> 
> Obligatory "not a native speaker" disclaimer

 

 

_“I don’t get it, you know? Everything was fine but then he freaked out and was all weird-”_

 

_“Aaah gossip gossip! What did I miss?”_

 

_“Sara was dumped.”_

 

_“Seriously? What happened?”_

 

_“I don’t know, that’s what I’m trying to understand.”_

 

_“Victor is such a sweetheart, we were all jealous. Did you do something to piss him off, or what? You guys seemed fine when I saw you, I hope it was more serious than being late for a date. You were with him for 2 years, for fuck’s sake.”_

 

_“Apparently he wasn’t so nice, did he at least give you an explanation? I’m pretty sure he was just an asshole the whole time.”_

 

_“An asshole? He was perfect, he treated Sara like a princess, and really, did you see his butt?”_

 

_“There was one thing…”_

 

_“Oh?”_

 

_“Spill, Sara!”_

 

_“We didn’t have sex - stop looking at me like that! At first I wasn’t ready, then he wasn’t, then I found out that his parents are crazy so he probably had some leftover guilt… they’re the “no sex before marriage” type.”_

 

_“He’s religious?”_

 

_“He rejected religion a long time ago but if you’re brought up in a very strict, almost fanatical household I’m pretty sure you’ll end up having some sort of issue at some point. I mean, he has to pretend he’s a believer or they’d cut him off. After I met them I know it would happen. The first thing they asked me was what I believed in. Thankfully Victor briefed me before that, so I lied.”_

 

_“You’re telling us that the hottest man we’ve ever seen, is a virgin?”_

 

_“Somehow that’s really cute.”_

 

_“It’s not cute when he panics the first time you touch him! Then, last week, we had a bit too much to drink and we tried, and he couldn’t get it up. We tried again when we were completely sober and the same thing happened. He felt horrible. All week he kept telling me how pretty I was and that there was something wrong with him and he couldn’t stand it, and I deserved better, and he broke up with me.”_

 

_“Sara, are you sure he’s not just gay?”_

 

_“...Oh, shit.”_

 

 

 _Oh shit,_ indeed. Victor Nikiforov, who was just passing by on his way to the cafeteria, walked in the opposite direction as fast as he could without attracting too many stares. Today was the second worst day of his entire life. It wasn’t like he didn’t like Sara Crispino. She was an incredible woman, even if her brother was a little bit weird and punched Victor the first time he saw them together. She was the one who came up to him when they were both in their last year of high school. Victor accepted to date her happily; unlike many other girls who swooned over him and giggled or even took pictures without his consent, Sara had a brain, she was fun, and she seemed genuinely interested in knowing who he really was. She didn’t mind that he got excited over silly romantic movies, and she truly accepted his personality. They shared several interests, like classical music and figure skating. It was easy to get attached to her. She was his first girlfriend.

 

The first time he realized he might be doing something wrong, was when he listened to his classmates talk about their own girlfriends, or when he saw couples kissing. He had no desire to shove his tongue down Sara’s throat. Even several months into the relationship they barely ever tasted the other’s lips. He also couldn’t relate to the sexual urges the other boys were so vocal about. Yet, he never would have thought, in a million years, that he could be anything but straight. “Normal”, as his parents would say. A good Christian boy with no impure thoughts. At this point, he thought perhaps his upbringing broke him. He might have lost faith a while ago, after attending several conferences when he was doubting everything in his life, after discussing it with his friends and researching it on his own, but some of the things that had been hammered into his brain from a young age might still affect him today.

 

Could he see himself marrying Sara and raising kids with her? Yes. Could he see himself making love to her to bring said kids to life? No. Maybe that was why her brother accepted him: he wasn’t a threat for his sister’s purity.

 

Victor was used to ask questions. That was how he became agnostic, and why he studied Ethnology. It even led to him learning Russian, of all languages, just because he found out his biological parents, who left him in an orphanage when he was three, were from St. Petersburg. Even his adoptive father was part-Russian, hence their family name. Yet he was never curious about his own sexuality, because it never bothered him. If Sara had been more pushy earlier on, perhaps he would have ended up discovering the truth.

 

Right now, out of breath after almost running from the University to the tram station, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Did he like men? Homosexuality was not something he was entirely familiar with, even today. His sheltered self never had access to a TV when he was a child. His parents owned one only to watch movies, it wasn’t connected to anything but the tape and later DVD player. When the Internet came around, they had strict censorship installed and Victor was much more interested in his religious iteration than sex. He never spent enough time online to be faced with anything about gender and orientation. He also lived in a small town where anything out of the ordinary was unheard of, or carefully hidden.

 

The first time he was faced with homosexuality happened in class. The teacher was late and the students started talking about France and the different reactions to marriage equality. Now, Victor wasn’t an idiot, just ill-informed. He kept quiet and listened, then at lunch, he went to the media center and looked it up. Seeing the hateful crowds in the streets of Paris, self-righteous and condemning people who just wanted equal rights, squeezed his heart. He searched further, to understand why marriage was important to them, outside of just being fair for all lovers. He even imagined what the world was like: not being able to be by your partner’s side as they were suffering or dying, being turned away from basic necessities like a roof over their head because the owner of the building refused anyone who wasn’t straight… It hurt. How many people did he know, who hid who they were because of it? He also saw that other countries passed a similar law without any crowd protesting so vehemently, and little by little, he became involved. He met Sara when she was helping a friend print informative documents to leave in the media center, for anyone who was unsure about their own identity or just wanted to know more about it and understand the many spectrum of sexuality.

 

His tram arrived with a hiss and he stepped on board. He sat next to a window, near the doors, and kept wondering. It was so strange to ask himself all these questions now. He was, after all, nearly 21 years old. He felt sorry for Sara and hoped she wouldn’t hate him, even though he wished she hadn’t been discussing their relationship out loud with her group of friends. It might still be summer vacations, but quite a few students were on the University grounds that day.

 

He blinked a few times. Crying would feel good but he wanted to be in his room first. When the tram came to a stop in the village he called home, he rushed outside and walked through the park behind the station until he reached the main street of the medieval district his place was in.

 

Auvernier was charming, he always thought so. Sometimes, it felt like he was thrown back in time, and on a lazy summer day like today, when the cobblestone streets were empty and the shopkeepers stayed inside to escape from the sun, still keeping an eye on the merchandise laid outside, Victor breathed more easily.

 

Most houses were centuries-old. Trees and flowers lined up the uphill street, fountains offered deliciously cold water to anyone who wished to quench their thirst. Victor loved the castle and the harbor. He often ran along the stony beach in the morning, and when he felt a bit depressed, he sat near the lake and watched its calm green waters, and the Alps on the other side. It would have been his destination today as well, but the possible revelation of his sexuality pushed him towards his home.

 

It was an old, slightly crooked house with a heavy wooden door that could easily slice someone’s fingers off if it closed on their hand. It belonged to Christophe Giacometti, a native who inherited it from his grandmother and rented it to students. He was enrolled in Sports Sciences and was probably the most outgoing man Victor had ever met. The first time Sara saw him, she couldn’t believe her boyfriend became friends with him so quickly. They were so different. Chris was seductive, a massive flirt, oozing confidence and sensuality, partying as much as possible and having sex whenever he could. Victor, who was admittedly gorgeous with his perfect body, angelic face and long silver hair, but had no clue how seduction worked, should have been intimidated. Instead, he was amused, and classified Chris as a specimen he could study. Just a few days later, he spent the night taking care of him as he was very hungover and very heartbroken. They had been best friends ever since.

 

Chris understood and respected Victor’s views on intimacy, never bringing anyone home unless the silver-haired boy was gone. That was until Victor became comfortable enough to walk naked around the house and insisted to meet Chris’ newest boyfriend. Now, he just left if they started to be loud.

 

At first, they lived together, just the two of them, but rent was putting a strain on Victor’s relationship with his parents, who already didn’t appreciate that he didn’t just stay home to go to University in Geneva, like any good son would have done. Victor started by getting a job, teaching at the nearest ice rink, after Sara recommended him to the owner. He then got another job for the summer, selling ice cream on the beach, but he hated it with a passion. Chris then decided to rent the other rooms out.

 

Two housemates became four, and it worked pretty well, even if one of them was an exchange student from Canada, nicknamed JJ for Jean-Jacques, who never shut up about how great he was. Thankfully, he was extremely busy and rarely stayed home.

 

Except, now, apparently.

 

“Victor! You look sad. I hope it’s not because I’m going back to Canada. I’ll send you some maple syrup, and I can record myself for your alarm clock if you want! Aah, waking up to the sweet sound of my voice, what a delight.”

 

“Speaking of, Rahim left this morning, you missed him,” Chris said from the living room. “He says he’ll come visit at some point.”

 

With a sigh, Victor removed his shoes and left them near the door, then walked towards his best friend and plopped down next to him on the couch, all plans to go mope in his room forgotten. Chris’ cat attacked JJ’s feet as soon as the older man followed him.

 

Chris turned his laptop towards him and Victor read the text that was about to be posted on the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> _**Roommates needed! (students only)** _
> 
> _Gender: any_
> 
> _House to share in Auvernier (main street), 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully furnished (Ikea rules!). See picture below_
> 
>  
> 
> click for pictures of the rooms
> 
> _Grocery store next door, winery down the street. The lake is just a few minutes walk away._
> 
>  
> 
> _How to get to Neuchâtel: train 6 minutes, car/bus 18 minutes, tram 15 minutes_
> 
> _Room 1 (single bed): 300 CHF_
> 
> _Room 2 (double bed): 350 CHF_
> 
> _Bills to be split between all residents (electricity, heating, water, Billag, Internet/TV/phone etc.)_
> 
> _Village:_
> 
> _University area:_
> 
>  
> 
> _Who are we?_
> 
> _Two students en route for their Bachelor of Arts: Chris, Swiss born and bred, and Victor, who has Russian blood and wrestles bears in his sleep. Chris speaks French, English, and German (badly), and he can tell you how beautiful you are in Italian (but don’t worry, he’s already taken). Victor speaks French, English, and Russian, so if you’re an international student we can most likely talk to each other._
> 
> _Who are we looking for?_
> 
> _Non-smoker_
> 
> _No drugs!  
>  _
> 
> _Not allergic to soap_
> 
> _Likes cats_
> 
> _Immensely enjoys cleaning up after themselves_
> 
> _If you are a party-goer, we know the best spots, and you can’t miss Chris’ beach parties in the summer. We just don’t want any problem with the neighbors, so don’t bring the party home. We like our beauty sleep._
> 
> _If you are xenophobic and/or homophobic, don’t even try to contact us_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _Interested? Need more information? Email Chris at monculcestdunougat1@bluewin.ch_

 

 

“You know that’s the kind of ad that brings people like JJ here,” Victor observed, quite happy with it at the same time.

 

“Hey, how dare you complain about the King’s presence?”

 

“Oh shut up.”

 

“You guys are no fun.”

 

Chris shrugged and cleaned his glasses. The stark contrast between his studious, serious self and his flamboyant persona always stunned Victor. When JJ went back to his room upstairs, the Swiss closed his laptop and turned towards his friend. Victor found himself fidgeting, his blue eyes lowered.

 

“Let me guess, you saw Sara,” Chris started.

 

It was now or never. Chris was the best person to talk to about his doubts. He knew about the break-up, because he heard them talk the previous day. Taking a deep breath, Victor closed his eyes and whispered:

 

“Her friends said I might be gay.”

 

Chris was quiet for a while. When he spoke again, his tone was gentle, his words carefully chosen.

 

“Do you think you could be? Is it an issue?”

 

The Russian wanted to scream into a pillow. Instead, he grabbed the cat, who purred and melted in his lap.

 

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. He really had no idea.

 

The laptop was open once more and Chris typed furiously, then turned it towards him again.

 

“Test number one!” he grinned, and pressed play.

 

Lesbian porn. Of course. Victor watched, and felt nothing. He wasn’t used to porn, he never watched any, so surely it should have had some effect, right?

 

“Maybe it’s just because I’m not alone…”

 

“Victor, my friend, unless you have amazing self-control that’s not going to happen. Especially for a virgi-”

 

“Okay, okay, got it. Then maybe I just don’t find them attractive.”

 

“You don’t?”

 

He looked more closely. He was pretty sure anyone attracted to women would gasp at his statement, because the girls were beautiful. It was a tasteful video, made by a woman according to the description, and there was no outrageous make-up.

 

“Well, they’re really cute,” he conceded. “I just- I can’t picture myself touching them.”

 

He was blushing and he hated it, but Chris pretended he didn’t see it. There was a time for friendly mockery, and this wasn’t it.

 

“You could also be ace. Let’s see.”

 

He switched to the hetero part of the website. Once again, Victor didn’t react, but his eyes sometimes focused on the man. And when it came to gay porn, he felt more uncomfortable than anything else. Chris smiled.

 

“Alright, either you’re indeed ace, or something on that spectrum, or you’re still too far in the closet.”

 

“But I jerk off sometimes,” he grumbled, confused. “Isn’t that not ace at all?”

 

“For someone who met his ex in the middle of a mountain of flyers on gender identity, you’re a bit dense. Masturbation is different from sex. We’ll talk about the whole spectrum if needed, but for now, let’s focus on “gay or not”.”

 

“You said test number one, what’s next?”

 

Pictures replaced the videos. It was apparently far from the first time Chris helped someone figure things out about themselves, he had a whole folder prepared. No porn this time, only photographs with a similar setting, lightning and theme. It must have taken ages to find them all, Victor was deeply impressed.

 

He started by showing him women. All kinds of bodies, skin tones and hairstyles. He asked him to choose one of them, and Victor took the exercise very seriously. It lasted a long time, and the person he ended up selecting was quite androgynous. Flat-chested, but still rather soft around the hips.

 

Then, Chris mixed his chosen woman in the midst of young men with a similarly thin build. Victor gravitated towards the most athletic of the bunch, but there was still something he didn’t like.

 

The athlete was then mixed up with a wider range of men, and suddenly his eyes found him. A mix of softness and sharp edges, an Asian boy, maybe from Japan. His gaze made him shiver.

 

“He’s adorable,” Chris commented when Victor pointed at him. “I don’t remember where I found his picture and it’s a tragedy. So, he’s your type. It’s time for the next test!”

 

He nodded. He was so close now, and he felt like the liberating feeling he was after lurked just below the surface.

 

“This last test, dearest Victor, requires a lot of trust on your part.”

 

“You’ve heard me sing in the shower when I thought you weren’t there. I’ve seen you with a dildo up your ass. I think I know you well enough.”

 

Chris turned off his computer then asked him to follow him upstairs. They chose Victor’s room, locked the door, and drew the curtains. Curious and less anxious than he thought, the Russian sat on the bed, then Chris kneeled behind him.

 

“Alright. I chose your room for the familiarity of it, so you can feel better. Can you picture that boy in your head?”

 

It was more than easy, his picture was printed in his brain now.

 

“Good. Close your eyes. I’m going to whisper in your ear, and you’ll imagine it’s him. Tell me to stop if it does nothing, if you’re uncomfortable, or if you need to be alone.”

 

He could just feel the smirk on his friend’s face, but he decided to ignore it.

 

And to be perfectly honest, it didn’t work so well, because he thought Chris’ voice didn’t suit the boy at all, and because it was, well, Chris. The fact that JJ, still holed up in his own room, started singing an original song he had titled Theme of King JJ at some point during the test, just broke the atmosphere into pieces, and Victor started laughing hysterically.

 

He made progress, for sure, but he wouldn’t find out anything else today. At least, it helped him put aside his guilt about Sara.

 

Later, JJ said he didn’t act like someone who was in love. He told him he should be devastated, and somehow it helped even more.

 

Perhaps he had never been in love with her but only saw her as a good friend. Maybe a sister. Siblings fought all the time but didn’t suffer from it, after all. And Sara’s reaction… well, she wasn’t happy about his decision, but there was no yelling, and if she had been heartbroken she wouldn’t have been speaking to her friends that way, she might not even have gone out of her room at all. It was more than likely that she either lost her flame for him, or never had a real one in the first place.

 

The thought was soothing. Perhaps they could be friends again one day.

 

When Victor went to bed, expecting anguish or too many questions to sleep, he tried to lose himself in a thoughtless world.

 

His world did not remain empty for long. Fleeting memories of the orphanage came to him, but they left as soon as he fell asleep. He would probably not remember them in the morning.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet Yuuri!

>  
> 
> To:  monculcestdunougat1@bluewin.ch
> 
> From:  y.baranovsky3314@mail.ru
> 
> Subject: Room for rent
> 
>  
> 
> Hello,
> 
>  
> 
> My name is Yuuri Baranovsky. My brother and I are about to start University in Neuchâtel next week, and so far we haven’t found an affordable place to live. We are very interested in the rooms from your ad. We are flying from Russia on Thursday.
> 
> We don’t smoke or do drugs, and we have nothing against soap. I can cook.
> 
> Please let me know if you need any other information, and I truly hope we’re not too late. You can reach me via email, or on Whatsapp (my number is +7 xxx xxx xxxx). Looking forward to hear from you!
> 
>  
> 
> Regards,
> 
>  
> 
> Yuuri B.

 

 

 

“Lame.”

 

Yuuri wasn’t even surprised to see his younger brother peeking at his computer. He smiled gently, and asked what he did wrong. Sending emails was less daunting than a phone call, but he still didn’t enjoy it.

 

“You’ve been up all night again.”

 

“I just hope we get it.”

 

The younger boy grunted and kneeled in front of an open suitcase overflowing with leopard and tiger print clothes. Yuuri could see that he barely slept himself, if he trusted the dark circles under his green eyes. This summer had been stressful for both of them.

 

It started when Yuuri fell from the stage during a performance and fractured his ankle. He was a student at the Vaganova Academy of Ballet, pouring sweat, tears and blood into the art of dance, so much so that he was already known by many. He toured the world with the  M ariinsky Ballet when the main soloist hurt his leg, and as such was currently one of the most successful student in his school. His stage name, Katsuki, was taken from his late birth parents and used in their honor. It was often mentioned in the inner circles of ballet. Yuuri Katsuki, adoptive son of prima ballerina Lilia Baranovskaya, brother to figure skating World Champion Yuri Plisetsky, had a bright future in dance.

 

That was until his accident. Everything came crashing down on him, not because he would be unable to dance for the next two months, but because he might not be able to dance at his best anymore. It would have been easy to wallow in his misery… if his mother wasn’t Lilia, and if he didn’t have an abrasive and rude Russian as a little brother. They didn’t leave him alone. For now, his career, his studies were on hold. He wasn’t kicked out of the Academy, thanks to his famous mother’s influence, but he knew that if he ever regained his strength he would have to audition to be let in again. So, after much coaxing and a bunch of pirozhki made by Yuri’s paternal grandfather, he slowly got out of his shell. Yuri was the one who gave him the idea to apply for a foreign University.

 

The deadline for applications was already passed for quite a few renowned schools. Yuuri wanted to continue studying French, and he needed to mind the cost of life. There was no way he would ask Lilia to finance his life in a capital city like Paris. It was much easier to find what he was looking for once he only looked at French speaking countries, free or almost free education, with applications still open. And Yuri ended up deciding for him, then dropped a bomb on everyone at dinner by announcing he would go with him.

 

This was how they chose Neuchâtel. One of the reasons was the ice rink in the University area. The fact that one of the faculties sat by the lake helped - and the presence of a ballet studio nearby was the final push Yuuri needed.

 

It wasn’t long before they encountered their first issue: finding a roof over their heads. Neuchâtel was a small city, and rather expensive for the region. Any affordable housing had already been rented a long time ago, students often starting their research almost a year in advance. A lot of the nearby villages required a car, or had no public transportation on Sundays, which was certainly an issue when Yuri used his weekends entirely for training. The closer they got to Lausanne, the less apartments or rooms were available, taken by local students. They spent hours contacting people in la Chaux-de-Fonds, not minding the 45 minutes commute as the trains were supposedly reliable, but the owners or agencies either prioritized families, refused students, or just required documents that neither of them had.

 

Yuuri became more anxious as time went by. He tried to smile, but kept seeing their plane tick ets flashing before his eyes, and he imagined sleeping in the streets, perhaps losing his brother to street violence or pneumonia, unable to fly back home or contact anyone, unable to eat, two homeless teenagers who were in this situation because of him, because he broke his ankle. Often, he woke up in the morning with Yuri’s arms around him, the younger boy exhausted after doing his very best to calm him down.

 

It was decided, in the middle of summer, that Yuri’s coach (and Lilia’s ex-husband), Yakov Feltsman, would move there as well. Yuuri thought he didn’t want to train a Russian champion via Skype, or that he just refused to lose his most talented student as long-distance coaching was a pretty silly idea. What if Yuri just went knocking on Stéphane Lambiel’s door and became one of his students? Yakov would hate that.

 

The older man, who had much less trouble renting a place, didn’t wish to share his newly found and expensive apartment, but he would do it if the boys were ultimately unable to find a place of their own. Yuuri knew the grouchy man well and if he could avoid staying with him, he would do it in a heartbeat, however the idea of this security blanket allowed him to breathe a little easier.

 

Still, 4 days left, and they didn’t find anything. Until Yuuri, unable to sleep on a particularly hot night, browsed the usual ads website he kept visiting several times a day. The ad for two rooms in a lakeside village popped up, and he was pretty sure his hurried typing woke Yuri up.

 

He sighed and his arms went limp. He needed to sleep. He could see that his brother was struggling to keep his eyes open but pretended everything was fine by checking the content of his luggage over and over again. It was an amusing sight.

 

Yuri was technically Lilia’s nephew. His mother left when he was a child and his father followed soon after, so the kid lived with his grandpa until his aunt adopted him. Just like Yuuri, he used his parents’ last name as a stage name, but he went further and had it hyphenated on his official documents. Only a year after he was told he could call Lilia “Mother” if he so wished, Yuri met his older brother, just adopted from an orphanage in St.Petersburg. Yuuri was eight, a year older than him. He was of Japanese descent and his family died in a car accident when he was very little, when they visited the city for a long awaited overseas vacation. As no one from his extended family could be found, he stayed at the orphanage, often ignored by visitors who were more interested in Caucasian kids, or didn’t appreciate how shy he was.

 

When Lilia finally took him home, he decided he loved his new name, and became Yuuri Baranovsky.

 

“I swear to god, if the hostess says anything about our names being so similar I’ll punch her,” Yuri growled suddenly, and Yuuri saw that he was looking at their passports.

 

It happened each time they traveled together. Yuuri Baranovsky and Yuri Baranovsky-Plisetsky sounded rather hilarious to some people. The Japanese found it funny at first but even he, who was known for being patient and calm, had a hard time standing it after so many years.

 

“I’d let you do it, gladly,” he answered with a sigh.

 

An alert on his phone interrupted their rant. Yuuri wondered who would contact him in the middle of the night, but when he saw the message on Whatsapp, he clutched his heart and his eyes widened.

 

 

> **From: +41 xx xxx xx xx**
> 
> Hey Yuuri this is Chris from the ad. Can you talk now?

 

 

He almost sent back an excited emoji but chose to appear calm as he composed his next message.

 

 

> **To: Chris**
> 
> Yes, I’m free right now

 

 

He certainly wasn’t expecting his phone to ring, and he almost dropped it. He really, really didn’t like talking to people he didn’t know… but he needed to. He accepted the video call, and was immediately greeted by a sultry voice and the longest eyelashes he had ever seen.

 

“Dude, your email address sucks,” Yuri said, and Yuuri glanced towards him, horrified.

 

Thankfully, Chris barked a laugh.

 

“I have a delicious ass, and the best references in French comedy. Bonus points if you know where it’s from.”

 

“Not a clue.”

 

“Then my goal in life shall be to enlighten you if we end up living together. Anyway, who’s Yuuri?”

 

The Japanese dancer cleared his throat.

 

“I am Yuuri. The rude one is Yuri. I apologize, he’s tired.”

 

“That’s not confusing at all.”

 

“If you call me Yurio I’m setting fire to your house,” Yuri spat.

 

Yuuri groaned. Why couldn’t his brother shut up? It was going to cost them the rooms.

 

“Sweet, we always need a bit of heat in the winter,” Chris replied. “So, first, do you have questions?”

 

Yuuri, who was usually organized and liked lists and preparations, was left to improvise, so he turned into a stuttering mess. His brother quickly asked the most important things in his mind (1.Why did they mention a cat and if they had one could Yuri kidnap it, 2. Was he going to have the sun shine right into his eyes in the morning if he didn’t close the curtains, and 3. How was the water pressure in the shower).

 

Chris looked highly amused by the cranky blond teenager. He took them on a tour of the place. It seemed like some doors had trouble closing completely. The house looked ancient, despite the recent white paint job. The kitchen and bathrooms were modern and the couch gigantic (it took most of the living room, and Chris explained it had been a huge mistake and was the reason why he locked his phone and computer with a complicated password from now on. Drunk Chris loved online shopping, and he had a thing for comfy furniture.)

 

“That’s also why one of the rooms has a double bed,” he explained. “Victor was alone at home when they delivered it and he left me a charming voicemail.”

 

Yuuri was starting to relax. His shoulders weren’t as tense anymore. There was just something about Chris’ enthusiasm mixed with the relief of having probably found a home, that calmed him faster than anything. Even Yuri singing to him when they were younger didn’t soothe him so quickly. He realized he was already giving his full trust to the Swiss. It weirded him out.

 

“So, Yuuri and Yuri2, what do you think?”

 

“I’M NOT YURI2!”

 

Chris snorted and Yuuri ignored the blonde. He told the truth: when he first saw the picture of the outside, he was slightly worried, especially because the windows looked like they had the worst insulation in all of Europe. He was pleasantly surprised after the tour.

 

“I won’t lie, the windows do suck,” Chris admitted. “In the winter, we put pillows or blankets under them. Each heater is on the opposite wall, so it can get pretty hot in one corner of the room, and freezing near the window. In summer we use fans if it gets too hot, and we go skinny dipping at night.”

 

“Don’t tell me you run down the street naked before jumping into the lake.”

 

“That’s an idea. Now, tell me a bit about yourselves and your habits.”

 

So much for relaxing. Yuuri didn’t like to talk about himself. He also didn’t enjoy hiding his true identity, but it was necessary in case the other wasn’t careful and ended up revealing their future location to their fans. Yuri often said there were a mountain of things his older brother disliked, and he wasn’t wrong: being mobbed by fans and reporters sat very high on the list.

 

Knowing he wouldn’t get the rooms if he stayed quiet, Yuuri spoke.

 

He told Chris about his and Yuri’s usual schedule to be sure it wouldn’t be an issue; early morning jog, several hours split between their chosen sport, the gym, and any activity they needed to go through (Yuuri needed physiotherapy for his ankle, so that was already part of his planning).

 

“You guys are athletes.” It wasn’t a question. Yuuri nodded, glad that a video call meant he didn’t always need to speak. “I’m studying sports science. I kinda get your lifestyle. And Victor really enjoys his morning jog so he wakes up early too.”

 

“How is-” Yuuri straightened his back, “how is Victor like?”

 

“Ah, it’s too bad he’s out at the moment, but well, he’s a great guy, though you need to know that he has two faces. The one you’ll see at first is a mask. He’ll be overly friendly and chatty, and you’ll need to push if you want to know him. If he lets you in, it’s for life, trust me.”

 

Chris added that the man was majoring in Ethnology, which piqued Yuuri’s interest and even earned a “cool” from Yuri. Yuuri went on to speak about the discipline he registered for, French as a Foreign Language, and English Language and Literature. He shared Yuri’s as well (sports sciences, which delighted Chris). He was aware that if he could go back to dancing at some point, he would have to drop one of them, but Lilia insisted he take two for the maximum amount of credits. He only chose French because he wanted to become fluent. It was a required language at the Vaganova Academy, and he wasn’t as good as he wanted yet. To be fair, he had more than enough languages crammed into his skull already. After being adopted, he asked if he could learn Japanese, having forgotten most of it after his parents’ death. English was next, and Lilia was ruthless, making sure he could easily travel the world for his future career. French was dumped on him when he entered the Academy, and of course, he knew Russian.

 

The sun was rising when Chris asked for an electronic signature. Shaking, Yuuri agreed, followed by his brother who c hose the single room. Chris hooted, and the video call picked up a glorious scene when a shoe was tossed at his face.

 

This was how they briefly met JJ, who was about to leave his room to Yuuri. They were introduced to his theme song, and when the call ended, both teenagers looked at each other, before their smirk dissolved into laughter.

 

“Yuuri Baranovsky, Yuri Plisetsky! If I hear one more word, I will make sure your journey to the airport is as uncomfortable as possible.”

 

“Yes Lilia! Sorry!” They replied in sync.

 

They then waited until she went back to the master bedroom, and only when they heard the door close, did they giggle again.

 

“She has been awoken,” Yuri stated dramatically.

 

“We must invoke the god of silence to appease the dragon,” Yuuri continued with a grin.

 

At that, Yuri tripped over his suitcase and yelled a loud “FUCK ME, FUCK YOU, FUCK EVERYTHING!”, which only attracted Lilia again, and Yuuri pitied his brother for what he would be going through in training tomorrow (or rather, later today). Yakov often punished the blonde on Lilia’s behalf, making him train much harder than usual.

 

There was no doubt his muscles would ache for the entire flight. Secretly, Yuuri would enjoy hearing him curse and fidget in his seat. He was, after all, like any normal big brother, but the great thing about having Yuri as a sibling was that he didn’t need to tease him, everything around him did it instead.


	3. 3

Victor squinted, pouting, as if his expression could make the weather feel bad about itself for ruining his morning run. He already tried glaring through the window and it didn’t work. It was tragic.

 

He was standing in front of the sink in the kitchen, barefoot, with a mug of vanilla-flavoured tea between his fingers. He wore a pair of shorts and his last clean t-shirt, and his hair was tied in a ponytail. Now that his plans were ruined by the rain, the reality of things - namely, that he should really, really do the laundry, and the dishes, and probably clean the bathroom, - he just wanted to go back to bed. Yet, as always unless he was sick or went to bed much too late, he refused to sleep longer. Being lazy always brought back nasty memories. No one had the luxury of staying in bed in the Nikiforov household. He might have gotten away, but he wouldn’t get rid of his habits anytime soon. To top it all of, certain thoughts kept swirling into his head ever since Chris put them there.

 

He sighed when he realized he was thinking about it again. As the days passed he grew more and more certain that he really was gay, which wasn’t exactly a pleasant realization. Not when he knew how his parents would react.

 

His tea was still too hot, so he left it next to the sink, intending to go back to it in a few minutes. He busied himself with the laundry, cringing when he touched Chris’ underwear that was slightly wet, then washed his hands thoroughly. He caught a glimpse of his reflection on his phone when he checked the time, and saw that his chin and part of his lips were covered in a white, crusty substance, because he brushed his teeth like an idiot earlier. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to remove any of it: the doorbell rang, and since Victor’s memory sometimes bugged out, he forgot all about how it looked.

 

What happened next was a blur, all he did was stare, close the door, and rush upstairs.

 

“Chris.”

“I’m sleeping.”

“Chris.”

“...”

“Chris.”

“WHAT.”

 

Victor usually knew better than to wake him up like this, but the situation was urgent. He was almost buzzing. It was a wonder his hair wasn’t standing up with static, and when Chris finally emerged from under the cover, Victor bounced on the bed.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me our roommates were coming today? The little squirt kicked my leg.”

 

His mind drifted to the other newcomer, with his cinnamon eyes and soft expression. He was still recovering from the way his heart sped up when he saw him. There was just something about him…

 

He jumped off the bed when Chris sat up.

 

“Oooh, arrival of the Yuris! I forgot. Can you show them around? I’ll be right there.”

 

Could he? Of course. Of course he could. It wasn’t like a real life angel had just smiled at him five minutes ago.

 

“Where are they, anyway?”

“I, eh, I wasn’t sure who they were so they’re waiting outside.”

 

On cue, the rain worsened, and Victor swore and ran back out, narrowly missing the cat dozing off on the stairs. He opened the door again, and the blond kid pushed past him, furious. The Asian boy however smiled sweetly again, and only entered when invited. Victor helped him drag his luggage inside.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said while they removed their shoes, “I didn’t know you moved in today, so I had no idea who you were.”

“Yeah, sure. You’re Victor?”

 

He nodded at Yuri, and his signature heart shaped smile graced his features. When Yuuri introduced himself, it felt like his walls were crumbling, and he suddenly wanted to make sure he wasn’t cold, then dry his hair for him and apologize over and over again about leaving him outside in the rain. Then he would make him some soup and urge him to bed, and he would stay with him in case he got sick.Hell he would read him a bedtime story and sing lullabies just to spend more time with him. This boy needed his full attention and protection.

 

They climbed up the stairs and oh-

 

Victor had never looked at anyone and wanted to touch them before, his first introduction to these urges had been the picture Chris showed him. He definitely had a thing for Asian boys with plump... assets.

 

He winced internally, forcing himself to look at the steps under them, and thought, “Screw your tests, Giacometti, I’m Yuuri-sexual.”

 

And then, he realized Yuuri took the room next to his, the one with the crooked window, and the sigh he let out didn’t escape Chris’ attention once the Swiss exited the bathroom.

 

“Hi Yuuri and Yuri2! Sorry about Victor, sometimes I think he’s not the brightest.”

 

Whatever he babbled about afterwards didn’t register in Victor’s brain, because his mouth spoke before his mind and he volunteered to help Yuuri unpack. His friend’s voice was a very distant, insignificant thing. After living with JJ, Victor developed a keen ability to shut off certain sounds. Selective hearing.

 

His throat went dry when Yuuri opened his suitcase. He just saw a pair of ballet slippers on top of his clothes.

 

Not just ballet slippers. Pointe shoes as well.

 

“Ah, I- I use them to strengthen my legs,” Yuuri explained in accented French. He looked almost ashamed. Why? Did anyone make fun of him for practicing dance?

“How long have you been dancing?” he asked instead, proud to discover that he still had at least one brain cell and could still talk without sounding like a complete imbecile.

“Eleven years. Eight in a ballet school. I was supposed to graduate in June but I took a year off for- work.”

 

He seemed bitter about it, yet his voice was surprisingly soft. Victor wanted to know more, but he had a feeling Yuuri wouldn’t appreciate being pressured, not after his hesitation at the end of his sentence. Instead, he focused on his name.

 

“Are you related to Lilia Baranovskaya?” he asked before he could stop himself.

 

Victor’s family, despite their Russian roots, tried to keep him away from any knowledge about what they considered “girly activities”. After the boy discovered that he was himself Russian, he became interested in his country’s achievements, and ballet and skating were on top of the list. He couldn’t join any lesson without his parents knowing about it, so he tried to learn by himself. Lilia Baranovskaya was one of the ballerina he admired.

 

Yuuri’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“You know who she is?” he asked, bewildered.

“Is it so weird? I’m Russian, after all.”

“One of my classmates had no clue who she was. In a ballet school.”

 

The silver-haired student smirked, and put a fitted sheet on the mattress.

 

“She’s my adoptive mother, and Yuri’s aunt, but legally she’s his mother too now,” Yuuri murmured eventually.

 

Victor’s eyebrows shot up.

 

“Wow! Did she teach you?”

“Before I joined the Academy, yes.”

“Can you show me? Not now, but one day?”

 

Was Yuuri blushing? It seemed so. His eyes were shining. Victor couldn’t look away. Already, he could guess that the boy was quiet and shy. There was something truly fascinating in the way he removed his belongings from his luggage and lined them up on the floor. Methodical. He imagined that having Lilia as a mother meant he had a rather strict childhood, and he wondered if Yuuri was the sort of teenager who made his bed every morning and never left any clothes on the floor.

 

“Maybe,” Yuuri replied, his voice now barely a whisper, and a small smile on his lips. “Victor?”

“Mh?”

“You have toothpaste on your face.”

 

There were a few ways he could have reacted to that. Chris would have winked, perhaps he would even have said it was not toothpaste, but Victor wasn’t familiar with flirting and thought it would just make him look like a douche. Apparently his body decided to prevent him from making fun of the situation by ensuring his entire face would be too red to pretend he wasn’t ashamed. Grumbling a thank you, he rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed his face. The younger Yuri, who was exploring the house, raised an eyebrow at his antics before shrugging and leaving him alone.

 

When Victor finally found the courage to talk to Yuuri again, he had to go back downstairs. He spaced out in the bathroom if it took him so long to come back to his senses.

 

The brothers were sitting in the living room with Chris, discussing basic rules and responsibilities. Yuuri sat with his knees under his chin, surrounded by every pillow they owned. A comfy nest on the giant couch, which was so wide it could serve as a single bed.

 

“I know in a lot of cases, housemates do their own cooking but Victor and I usually like to eat together,” Chris said when they reached the “food&groceries” topic. “Do you want to share meals too?”

 

Victor sat and did his best to act as if he wasn’t hopelessly attracted to the Japanese teen.

 

“I can’t cook for shit,” Yuri replied, “and I have a specific diet. Training too. I don’t think I’ll be here on time to eat with anyone.”

“I’ll prepare something for you every day, you can heat it up when you come home,” Yuuri offered, his voice almost a whisper.

 

The way he looked at his brother was adorable. He obviously cared for him.

 

Yuri grunted his approval.

 

“I don’t mind sharing,” the dancer continued, this time looking at both Victor and Chris. “Since I’ll be cooking for Yuri I can do it for all of us, but maybe not every day.”

“We wouldn’t ask you to do it all the time. It’s just easier to plan what to buy that way,” Chris explained.

“We can make a weekly meal plan,” Victor added. “I’m not too bad in the kitchen.”

“He’s great with seafood. Do you guys have allergies?”

 

When they said no, Victor started thinking of ways to woo Yuuri with his cooking. Chris went on to talk about the price of meat - if they wanted to afford it, they had to go to France, which they did once or twice a month. The freezer was often filled with things they avoided buying in their home country. Seafood often suffered the same fate.

 

After a few minutes it was mostly settled: Yuuri would handle healthy meals as well as Russian, Japanese and Korean dishes, since he knew those best. Chris would keep to what he could do, which was usually grilled meat or pies, and Victor would have fun with fishes and shrimps. Anything else, like specific sauces, and most European recipes they enjoyed, would most likely require them to either work together, or spend quite some time buried into cookbooks.

 

 

With the horrid weather plaguing their day, and because Chris only had to go to work in the evening, they agreed to do their monthly visit on the other side of the border today. It didn’t make Victor particularly happy, but he thought that he could be stuck in a vehicle with Yuuri and it made it all better. Chris left the living room to call a friend and borrow his car.

 

“I just landed and I’m already going to France?” Yuri complained, looking like he just bit into a lemon. “It took forever to get to Geneva, the flight was at night and I couldn’t sleep, then we had to take the train, then another train, and now a car? Can I just sleep?”

 

Yuuri didn’t look as tired as his brother, yet Victor still felt bad and said it would be alright, he’d just go with Chris and they could both rest. But the dancer shook his head.

 

“You stay,” he told his brother, “I’m going.”

 

_ He’s going, he’s going! _ Victor’s mind wouldn’t shut up.

 

Yuri ended up walking back to his room while the others ate a light breakfast. It didn’t take long for Chris’ friend to bring the car around as he lived close-by, and Chris probably promised him something like a bottle of wine in exchange for his help, as usual. Victor hoped he could sit in the back with Yuuri, but as soon as he entered the vehicle, the Japanese dancer took the passenger seat.

 

Victor might have pouted, if Yuuri hadn’t been so cute when Chris laughed. It seemed like the boy had no idea what just happened. Oblivious Yuuri meant Adorable Yuuri, and Victor was all for it.

 

Being separated that way didn’t prevent them from talking. As Chris drove up the mountain to reach the border, they shared facts about themselves.

 

Yuuri laughed easily, albeit discretely. He spoke gently and never said more words than necessary. He told them about the Vaganova Academy, about his pride for his brother’s achievements. Even when probed, he didn’t linger on personal topics, avoiding them so easily it seemed to surprise Chris. When asked about his own achievements, he said he had none.

 

Just before reaching the border, and before Victor’s phone would start overcharging him for data usage, he quickly googled “Yuuri Baranovsky”, not trusting his apparent lack of personal success. Yet Google returned no relevant result, except a “Did you mean Yuri Baranovsky”, which didn’t lead to the blonde Russian either but to a few Facebook profiles that had nothing to do with either of them.

 

He frowned, and searched for “Figure Skating World Champions”. Before he could read the list, they reached the French territory, and he reluctantly turned off his data usage.

 

Instead, he continued to listen, a small smile on his lips.

 

 

*

 

 

“You, my friend, are thirsty.”

 

Startled, Victor looked at Chris, who just joined him in the vegetables section of the supermarket. So what if he had been daydreaming? Was it forbidden?

 

“What do you mean, thirsty?” he asked, realizing he had filled a bag with the wrong kind of tomatoes and promptly putting them back.

 

Chris’s arm snaked around his shoulder. Even without watching him, Victor knew he was grinning.

 

“Your innocence will kill me. You know, if you keep staring at Yuuri’s ass, he’ll notice at some point.”

“I’m not-”

“Yeah, don’t even try. I don’t blame you, it’s a very fine ass. And thighs I wouldn’t mind having around my neck. Too bad I’m taken.”

“Stop that!” he snapped.

 

Victor couldn’t help it; he didn’t appreciate the way his friend talked about the precious cinnamon roll they just met earlier. Chris let go of him and apologized. The silver-haired boy rarely lost his temper. If something angered him, he kept it bottled up, hoping it would never surface again.

 

“Nevermind,” he sighed. “Sorry. Where is he, anyway?”

“Lost somewhere in the ethnic section.”

 

With a nod, Victor resisted the urge to join Yuuri. He chose the correct tomatoes, weighed them, and dropped them in the cart. He headed to the fishmonger, getting cheap yet tasty sea creatures and even finding squids on sale. An idea crossed his mind. It would be an incredibly messy, long and annoying preparation, but he wanted to welcome his new roommates with something special. As much as he hated emptying squids, he knew it would be worth it, and this time he hoped the ink sacs wouldn’t explode in his face when he needed them.

 

He found Yuuri a few minutes later and helped him carry an assortment of Asian groceries to the cart. He told him about the squids, feeling a warmth spreading in his chest at the dancer’s expression: he seemed excited about the food.

 

“Can we make pasta with the ink?” he asked, his brown eyes shining.

“Make them ourselves you mean?” he wondered, thinking about the pasta machine gathering dust in a cupboard. He never tried it.

“Yes, and I can help you, because you’ll have your hands full,” Yuuri added with a visible shudder, eyeing the bag of seafood.

 

This day just kept getting better and better. Yuuri would help. They would spend time together. Even if Victor would have an absolutely revolting task to go through, he knew it would be a great evening.

 

Once their purchases were securely waiting in the car, Victor asked Chris to wait for them. He needed just a few minutes. Dragging Yuuri with him, he walked towards another building on the other side of the parking lot. It was a medium sized garden center, where Yuuri found a plant for his room immediately. The Russian showed him what he wanted him to see in the first place, and was delighted to see how happy the boy was. The pet shop section.

 

There was nothing cuter than Yuuri as he cooed and smiled at each animal he saw, even getting to hold baby dwarf hamsters since a member of the staff was around. He talked back and forth with a parrot, then burst out laughing when said parrot insulted him. Getting him out of there proved rather difficult. It was a good thing there were no puppies or kittens, or Victor would probably live in the shop, and given Yuuri’s reaction, he would have a roommate too.

 

They left when they remembered they had fresh fish in the car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time I went to that pet shop I bought the cutest 3-legged hamster and smuggled it to the other side of the border. Oops.
> 
> Next up: Yuuri's POV, and getting to know each other.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri makes a friend, and Yuri has a traumatic experience.

Yuuri had a habit of preparing bento boxes for his brother, something he picked up years ago from his research into his own culture. He enjoyed turning food into adorable little creatures and smiley faces, and he knew Yuri loved them, even if he scowled and cursed each time he opened the box and found some rice shaped like a bunny. The younger teen just had too much pride. 

 

To make sure everything would be ready on time, Yuuri always woke up much earlier than he should, and ate his breakfast while the food cooked. It took four days for Victor to find out. Since then, he often got out of bed just so he could help.

 

_ Victor _ … Yuuri sighed and looked outside. He was sitting near the massive window in the University cafeteria with his own bento box. The lake, just a few steps away, glimmered under the bright sun, and students lazed around in the grass. Yuuri thought it was too hot, so he stayed inside with a glass of water and a book from the library. A boring document he wasn’t too keen on reading now, not when a certain young man haunted his mind.

 

He honestly didn’t know what to think about him. His first impression? The student was bloody gorgeous! He was relieved when he slammed the door in his face, just so he couldn’t see him gape like a fish out of water. It pissed Yuri off, since he saw right through him. But what could he do? He had never seen someone so beautiful.

 

Then he found out he liked ballet and didn’t judge him for his passion - he even wanted to see him en pointes, when everyone else aside from his family mocked him for it.

 

The squid brought them slightly closer (and it was not because Victor ended up with ink in his hair), and Yuuri had enough fun to temporarily forget about his fears of the unknown. He opened up, just a little bit. Yuuri rarely let anyone get too close to him.

 

Victor made him smile. He felt comfortable in his presence, and it scared him, but he liked it at the same time. His life turned into a whirlwind of confusion. Not because he was attracted to another man, but because this time, he thought it might be okay to dream a little.

 

Yuuri’s sexuality was something he kept quiet. When he found out he wasn’t attracted to his female classmates, he tried to convince himself that he just didn’t like the look of a ballerina. Too thin, perhaps. He was fourteen when a boy caught his attention. A skater competing with Yuri for the Junior Grand Prix Final. Older than him by two years, with sharp features and dark eyes, he made him blush with a single glance. Nothing happened between them. The skater became Yuuri’s brother’s best friend and Yuuri stayed away, because he was afraid. The laws in Russia terrified him. If he wanted to make a name for himself in ballet, he couldn’t afford a scandal, and even if he never reached the national stage, it could affect Yuri. Rumors might endanger them both. He couldn’t risk it.

 

He didn’t allow himself to feel anything for anyone after that. It strained his friendships with the few boys he had gotten close to, and in the end his insecurities drove them all away, except one. Yuuri’s best and only friend, who studied at the Academy but didn’t reach his sixth year. He was from Thailand and was the keeper of many secrets Yuuri would never share, not even with his brother.

 

Yuuri wondered what he would think about Victor, and promised himself to call him later. From what he could see so far, he was pretty sure it was impossible to dislike the silver-haired boy. Yuri complained about him constantly, calling him too soft-spoken, too cheery, and annoyingly helpful, and Yuuri liked all of these things about him.

 

The Japanese wasn’t blind however; Chris was absolutely right about their roommate’s “mask”. There was something hidden under the many layers of pure joy and frivolousness he displayed to the world. He hoped he could find out, one day, and hopefully shed his own mask little by little. He just wanted to be himself. Would Victor allow him to? Would he show him his true self in return?

 

Yuuri had to bite back a snort when he remembered the moment Victor saw he still had some squid guts stuck to the back of his hand.

 

It had been a fun week.

 

Summer vacations were over. During the weekend, both Yuris discovered the city before meeting up with Yakov. The skater spent his entire Sunday at the rink, and Yuuri used his free time to find a dance studio. While he couldn’t exactly move like he wanted to, he could still do his best to stay in shape. The studio owner, a Japanese woman named Minako Okukawa, waved most of his fees when she heard his stage name. Yuuri was honored to have met her, as she had been a famous ballerina when he was little. He spent most of the next day with her after the annual welcoming ceremony for his University.

 

Tuesday was marked by administrative tasks and confusion about where his classrooms were. Chris and Yuri didn’t study in the same building, so he relied on Victor, who often took weird paths to reach their destinations, as if he were avoiding someone. He didn’t ask who.

 

On Wednesday, the four housemates met up for lunch. They had crepes, and Yuuri thought they were ridiculously expensive, so Chris explained that going to the restaurant in this country was only a common occurrence for people with juicy bank accounts. People with more modest means ate out for special occasions. After seeing how much a cup of coffee cost at the airport, and cringing at the menu in front of his eyes, Yuuri had no trouble believing it.

 

Thursday… Yuuri didn’t talk about Thursday. No one did. It was decided that memories of the evening in particular were to be forgotten as soon as possible unless they all wanted to suffer Yuri’s wrath. It had been sunny and warm. Yuuri had most of his classes on this day and came home an hour after everyone else, only to be met with what his brother called the most shameful thing that ever happened to him. At first, the boy refused to say anything, but Chris suddenly bust out laughing and shared the truth.

 

Self-conscious, androgynous Yuri had received his costume for his free skate this season. It was so white it easily showed any speck of color on his body, so he opted for complete hair removal. Not that he had too much of it in the first place, but the dark carpet didn’t match the drapes and would most likely be seen through the fabric. He tried to wax himself. Since it was his first attempt, he had no idea how much it would hurt, and found himself stuck with wax he couldn’t remove without howling in pain. Victor had gone out to find something, anything, that could dissolve the sticky mess, but at this hour the shops were already closed. Since Yuri couldn’t bring himself to continue, he had to ask Yuuri for help.

 

The scene of a screaming blonde teenager laying naked on the couch, legs kept from kicking by Chris, shoulders pinned down by Victor, with Yuuri making sure his work would be akin to a professional, was something difficult to forget despite their best efforts.

 

Chris unwisely reminded the boy that he would have to go through this for the entire season. Yuri managed to anger the cat and had him attack the Swiss in revenge. He then swore it would be his last white outfit, and his last white dancer belt.

 

On Friday, Victor helped Yuuri find a job. He spent the whole morning bringing him in every store they came across and asking if they needed someone. The Japanese dancer left his resume in a few interesting places. They then headed to class, and that was what led Yuuri to his spot in the cafeteria for one more free period.

 

So far, he could say he liked it here. Having known strict rules with Lilia and later in school, the behaviors he witnessed often startled him. Colorful language, friendships unrestrained by the competitive spirit reigning over the Vaganova Academy, free time, unhealthy habits, bodies of all shapes and sizes as opposed to bundles of muscles and bones. It was one thing to see regular people in the streets. Being a part of them felt alien, and he must have been just as strange to all of them. 

 

When Yuuri walked, people looked at him because of his posture, and he barely repressed a scowl when he saw students slouching. Sometimes he thought he had an inner Lilia roaring her disapproval in his brain. Victor, while less graceful than he or Yuri, still showed great care in how he presented himself.

 

He smiled softly. It all came back to Victor, once again. He would have spent most of his free period thinking about him if a girl he had seen in his English Language and Literature class didn’t interrupt his train of thoughts. Curious, he looked at her and was surprised by the color of her eyes. Purple. Definitely not something he was used to.

 

“I’m sorry but, are you Yuuri Katsuki?” the girl asked.

 

Stunned, he nodded. People didn’t recognize him outside of the world of ballet, it just didn’t happen. The girl asked if she could sit and he saw no reason to refuse.

 

“I’m Sara, it’s so nice to meet you! I had no idea you studied here. I saw you with the Mariinsky Ballet in London, you were incredible!”

 

Yuuri had no idea how to react. Thankfully, she seemed to realize he wasn’t used to this kind of attention and apologized.

 

“I don’t want to scare you away,” she added. “I just love ballet. My twin knows your brother and I met him a few times. I knew Yuri moved here but I had no idea you came too.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I’m talking too much. Sorry.”

 

Shaking off his unease, Yuuri asked her who her brother was, andhe understood he had nothing to worry about from Sara, she wouldn’t act like a crazed fangirl after leaving his side. Not with a brother like Michele Crispino, a skater who often competed against Yuri. 

 

“I’d like it if my stage name could stay a secret,” Yuuri mumbled then. “The less people hear about me, the better.”

 

“Do you have problems with the press?” she asked, frowning slightly.

 

“Not here, but in Russia, after the world tour, it was insane. It calmed down until Yuri won the Grand Prix Final, and then the press remembered he had a brother and harassed me everywhere I went. They left me alone when I had my injury. I don’t want to risk them running an article about me now.”

 

“Yeah, they’d go all out, maybe even blame you for taking Yuri with you.”

 

“Definitely.”

 

The more they talked, the more he relaxed. Sara was easy to talk to. Another girl walked by and congratulated her before saying she moved on fast, and when they were alone again she shrugged.

 

“My friends think we’re flirting,” she explained, and Yuuri blushed furiously.

 

“I’m really sorry-”

 

“Don’t apologize, they’re just making fun of me because I broke up with my boyfriend last week.”

 

“That’s nothing to laugh about.”

 

“Better than crying about it. It’s fine, we weren’t actually in love in the end. It just didn’t work out. I’m not angry anymore.”

 

Another thing that left Yuuri utterly confused. He blamed himself for his lack of social skills and experiences. All he had ever known was hatred and revenge from the boys and girls he was usually around if they happened to go through a breakup - topping the drama found in an elite ballet school was an achievement, after all. It always made him rather glad that he was still single.

 

“Why did you talk to me?” he ended up asking after a short silence, his cheeks still burning.

 

“I’ve seen you in class, and you often look lost or lonely, so I wanted to make sure you knew you can come to me if you need something.”

 

He barely suppressed a gasp. This was pretty much the way he had met his best friend, and he cherished the memory. Phichit had offered a helping hand when he needed it and Yuuri had decided to trust him. He felt like he could do this now with Sara, though perhaps not to the same extent. Sometimes, he had trouble understanding why people would be nice to him.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered, staring at his hands.

 

“Don’t mention it. I moved here when I was a kid but I remember it wasn’t easy. Good thing we have brothers!”

 

Yuuri agreed, and before long his gaze found the silver mop of hair belonging to his fascinating housemate. Victor was choosing a drink from the fridge. 

 

“No way!”

 

Startled, he noticed Sara’s bewildered expression. She looked at Victor, then at Yuuri, then back at Victor, and her initial shock turned into a knowing smirk. 

 

“I need to go, actually,” she said quickly, still grinning, before Yuuri had the time to gather his thoughts and ask her what was going on. “I’ll see you around!”

 

When she was gone, Yuuri returned to his quiet contemplation of the lake. If he turned around, he was sure he would see Victor again, and he didn’t need more reasons to be distracted. No, the book he borrowed from the library was too important. It wasn’t because he was afraid he would become an actual tomato if he kept blushing too much. Or was it? 

 

He absolutely needed to talk to Phichit.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys learn to know each other better... still.

_List Of Cute Things About The Cutest Boy To Ever Grace The Earth_

 

 

  * _His upper lip, when it covers his spoon when he eats_


  * _His smile_


  * _His eyes_


  * _His blush, he blushes all the time!_


  * _His glasses_


  * _His hair in the morning_


  * _His hair after a shower_


  * _His nose_


  * _His hands_


  * _His feet_


  * _His-_



 

 

Victor’s internal listing stopped when the Japanese boy rushed into the kitchen in his tight, black boxer shorts and green t-shirt, and froze before reaching whatever he was looking for. Surprisingly, the silver-haired student didn’t hear him walk down the stairs. Perhaps Yuuri already found out which steps creaked and learned how to avoid them. Quite a feat, after barely more than a week.

 

“Did you need something?” Victor asked softly.

 

It was past midnight. Darkness lurked in the entire house, except for the kitchen light, and the heat was almost unbearable. Yuuri’s shirt was soaked, his muscled legs glistening with sweat.

 

“Water,” he croaked, and Victor offered him a glass of cool tap water. He had needed to bottle it up and put it in the fridge first, because it wasn’t cold enough when it came out of the faucet.

 

Yuuri drank like he just ran miles in a desert. A stream of liquid escaped his lips and created a trail down his throat. Victor turned his gaze away.

 

So far, and because his newly found attraction to men bothered him, he only saw Yuuri as a love interest, and not a bed partner. He thought of fully clothed cuddles. Hell, until he met him he believed he would never want sex. The videos Chris showed him resurfaced in his mind, blurry memories making him blush. His only exposure to sex, before the “test”, came from regular TV programs (Game of Thrones was the filthiest thing he had ever watched up until that point). His imagination was basically a blank slate. Now, this blank begged to be overwritten and Yuuri was making it way too easy. He wanted to lap at the water on his skin.

 

It should have been awkward, standing there like two idiots in the middle of the night, but after Yuuri finished drinking, they both chuckled. There was a good reason for Victor to be downstairs at the moment, and thirst wasn’t it. The kitchen was colder than the rest of the house, yes, but it was also as far as possible from Chris’ bedroom. While the Swiss usually spent the night at his boyfriend’s or kept quiet if Victor or their flatmates were home, today was an exception: they went to bed drunk. Drunk Chris was loud.

 

“Does this happen often?” Yuuri asked, as if he could read his mind.

 

Victor ran a hand through his long hair and shook his head.

 

“I rarely hear him. I’m very sorry. I can tell him to stop. If he listens, because I’m pretty sure he’s too far gone at the moment.”

 

“Ah, no, don’t!”

 

In the rather dim light, Yuuri’s blush looked even cuter than usual.

 

“I mean, we’re adults and it’s his house,” he added shyly.

 

“Sure but it can make some people uncomfortable.”

 

“I guess it would be much worse to hear my parents.”

 

Victor suppressed a shudder at the thought.

 

“Does it bother you?” Yuuri asked again.

 

“Second-hand embarrassment,” he replied after a short silence.

 

“I see.”

 

“Did Yuri hear them?”

 

“When he sleeps, he’s as good as dead. If he heard them, we’d know, he’d bang on the door and scream at them.”

 

A loud moan made both boys blush even more, and they sat at the table. Yuuri scrunched up his nose. Victor guessed it was because of the sensation of wood sticking to his legs. They drank more water. Victor found it hard to keep his eyes away from Yuuri, who stared at his hands. All was quiet for a while, until...

 

_“Oh FUCK! FASTER!”_

 

Yuuri coughed.

 

“Let’s go out,” Victor suddenly offered, all sleepiness gone from his brain.

 

Startled, the other boy blinked, so he clarified his idea:

 

“Not to a club, the tram isn’t running anymore. Just, let’s take a walk?”  

 

At that, Yuuri nodded enthusiastically. They both headed upstairs to get dressed, whispering to each other, and a few minutes later they were walking down the cobblestone street. The heat outside wasn’t too bad; the air felt heavy but a breeze proved the brilliance of Victor’s idea.

 

“We’ll probably get a huge thunderstorm in a few hours,” Victor observed. “I just hope it won’t hail.”

 

“S’okay, it’s Sunday tomorrow, we can stay inside. Well, except Yuri, he has to skate.”

 

“But then he’ll have to get out under the hail!”

 

“Hail is a guarantee each time thunder strikes, here?”

 

Victor told him no (of course it wasn’t!) but shared his experience with heavy, massive balls of ice falling from the sky. Yuuri’s laugh echoed in the empty streets at a particularly funny memory.

 

“My grandma is from a small village in Siberia. Tough woman, the kind you obey no matter what,” Victor said, crossing the main road and heading towards the harbor. “Not blood-related, since I’m adopted. When her husband died, she moved here to be closer to my dad. She can’t stand my mom though. Anyway, I was about eight years old and we were eating under a tent in the garden. It was midday but the sky was dark. I was fidgety because grandma made solyanka and I hated it, but in my family you eat what you’re given and you don’t complain. But I really didn’t want to eat that! It would make me sick, and just the smell made me gag. Anyway, my grandma looked ready to kill, and my mom told me how ridiculous I was being, she said I was ungrateful and would be punished, that I needed to repent for disrespecting my elders… I couldn’t cry because it would have made everything worse. Then it started to hail, and a huge ice block tore through the tent and fell in the soup.”

 

He grinned, remembering the glorious feeling of victory and delight that washed over him at that moment. He noticed that Yuuri was smiling. Under their feet, cement was replaced by grass, and they walked slowly in the giant park next to the harbor. The moon was barely visible behind thick clouds, but when they moved with the wind its light shone over the Alps, on the other side of the lake.

 

“What happened afterwards?” the Japanese dancer asked.

 

“I was sent to the basement with no food so I could think about my mistakes,” he casually explained, and at that, Yuuri stopped walking and grabbed his arm.

 

There were no street lamps around them, but Victor could still see the outline of the boy’s features.

 

“How was hail your fault? Why not just send you to your room?”

 

There was an edge to his voice that made the silver-haired student frown slightly. Did he say something wrong? He knew his upbringing was unconventional, and he remembered that Chris had a similar reaction when they talked about their childhood, but surely it wasn’t that bad.

 

“My room was distracting,” he murmured. “In the basement, I could focus.”

 

“Did they lock you in there? Did you have some light? Water?”

 

“What are you imagining? I wasn’t tortured!” he scoffed. “It was a heavy trap door, I couldn’t push it open myself. The ground was gravel. I guess if I was really thirsty I could have a bottle of wine, not that it ever came to that. It wasn’t bad, and in the summer it stayed cold. At first I was too small to reach the light but when I grew up, I didn’t have that issue anymore. Winters were bad though, but they only put me in there if I deserved it.”

 

“No child deserves to be locked away in a basement, Victor.”

 

“But-”

 

“No buts. Would you do that to your kid? What would it take for you to do it?”

 

They reached the rocky shoreline. Yuuri’s tone was firm but not in a way that gave Victor the impression that he was being scolded. He raised a good point. Victor never thought about it that way. Would he? He tried to picture himself as a father, faced with a misbehaving son or daughter. He thought about the darkness, about how he felt the first few times he was stuck under the house. Most times it wasn’t bad, but he didn’t believe it brought any more sense to him than any other punishment. It was just as useless as writing “I must not fall asleep during Bible study” a thousand times.

 

Then there were the days when he would have done anything to get out. They were few and far between, and until today they were blurry memories he almost forgot. Times when he saw monsters in the shadows, when he imagined shining eyes blinking in the night, staring at him. The dark crawling over him, suffocating him, tendrils of terror materialising in front of him. His imagination became more vivid when he was locked up.

 

He shivered violently, then looked at the water.

 

“I wouldn’t,” he sighed.    

 

“So you agree that it’s not a good punishment?”

 

“You don’t learn anything,” he agreed with a nod. “Punishment should be educational. Locking a child in there only teaches him to be scared of the dark.”

 

“Exactly. It’s pointless.”

 

Victor sat on the nearest rock and took a deep breath. Strangely, the atmosphere between them was still relaxed and comfortable. The topic they were discussing should at least put a strain on it, and yet it didn’t.

 

“What did Lilia do when you needed discipline?” he wondered aloud.

 

Yuuri removed his shoes and climbed on a rock that was sitting in the water, then let his feet drown.

 

“She sat us down and talked to us. If we did it again she gave us homework or chores, then she explained why she choose this punishment. She tried to keep it relevant to the mistake. A bad grade meant tutoring instead of fun and games. If we broke something or wasted food or money, or took things for granted she would freeze our allowance and privileges. Yuri can be pretty disrespectful, so he often had to publicly apologize, but Lilia made sure that the other person would get what they deserved if they weren’t innocent in the fight. She’s fair. Took some trials and errors though.”

 

Victor’s feet joined Yuuri’s under the small waves reaching the beach, just as a disturbing thought sneaked in his mind.

 

“Yuuri, do you think the basement was abuse?”

 

“I don’t know enough to judge, but with what you told me, I’d say it’s a form of it. Abuse doesn’t necessarily leave bruises.”

 

“Is it common?”

 

“What is? The basement?”

 

“Mhm.”

 

“I hope it isn’t. Are you okay?”

 

Was he? Everything was a storm of changes lately, changes he wasn’t ready for yet somehow welcomed with open arms. He knew this innocent conversation would come back to haunt him, he realized that he would analyze his own childhood and teenage years more than ever. He would need time, and someone to talk to. Yuuri seemed to have volunteered. With a nod and a smile, he reassured him, then stood up and started to strip.

 

“Wha- what are you doing?” the dancer squeaked (cutely, like everything he did, Victor thought).

 

“Going for a swim.”

 

Ever since he had moved to this village, he often enjoyed skinny dipping at night if he couldn’t sleep. Leaving his clothes in a pile, he jumped from rock to rock carefully. These rocks formed several jetties along the beach. At the very end of it, the lake was deep enough to jump safely, which Victor did with a big smile on his face. The warm water felt amazing. He floated on his back for a minute, gazing at the black sky. Then he heard splashing, and was joined by Yuuri.

 

He was torn between wishing he could see him better, and hoping he wouldn’t, because he guessed Yuuri was just as naked as himself.

 

“I never did that before,” Yuuri laughed, breathless.

 

“Now you can come here all the time! Well, not in winter.”

 

“Does the lake freeze?”

 

“Not often and never completely. Winter here sucks. We get fog most of the time, it’s cold and wet. If you go up the mountains you’ll get lots of snow and sun. It’s just this area that’s all foggy.”

 

“I’ve had enough real winters in St. Petersburg for a lifetime.”

 

“I believe you.”

 

Victor swam further away from the beach, enjoying himself. Yuuri took a deep breath and dived under his curious glance, and when he rushed back to the surface gasping, Victor snorted. He knew exactly what happened.

 

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Yuuri screamed, before grabbing his arm.

 

“Algae.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I didn’t have time, you just decided to dive before I could warn you.”

 

Anyone who swam in a lake knew what lurked beneath the water, and at this distance from the shore the tall, slimy weeds shooting up from the depths often grossed out swimmers. Victor never went too deep, yet he still couldn’t always avoid them. He felt a little bad for being amused by Yuuri’s reaction, but at the same time the boy didn’t seem too shocked.

 

“Anything else I should know about?” he groaned, and Victor was pretty sure he was curling his toes in an attempt to escape the depths.

 

He raised an eyebrow, noticing how much closer they were to each other, and deciding to drop the bomb on him.

 

“Sheatfishes.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“You know what a catfish looks like?” Yuuri nodded and the silver-haired man continued: “Do you know how big they can get?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“Well… there is a museum nearby and let me tell you, when I saw the one they had on display I refused to swim for weeks! They’re massive. They live at the bottom of the lake but still, I’m always scared that they’ll touch my legs.”

 

Yuuri swore in Russian and hurriedly swam back to the shore while Victor laughed. A few minutes later, they were sitting on the jetty again, in their underwear. Yuuri was pouting.

 

“Hey, I’m sorry, that was mean,” the taller boy murmured gently.

 

He was still amused, but a hint of worry bloomed in his heart. What if Yuuri hated him now? The silence disturbed him.

 

The wind grew colder and more violent. Gathering their belongings, they left their rock, and after a few steps Victor winced.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

He looked at Yuuri’s silhouette in the dark. There was no anger in his voice.

 

“I think I cut my foot on something,” he revealed.

 

“Oh! Can you still walk? Hold onto me.”

 

“You’re not mad at me?”

 

“No. Sometimes I just need to keep people away. It’s nothing against you, and I swear it’s not because of the fish or anything.”

 

“I’m so-”

 

“Don’t apologize, you couldn’t know. It just happens randomly. Now, answer my question? Please?”

 

Of course Victor could still walk. It wasn’t the first time he slashed his foot open. Everyone who walked barefoot sliced their skin on a barnacle or broken glass at least once. Since he didn’t feel it until now, he guessed it happened when he was still in the water. It stung.

 

“I’ll be fine,” he sighed, and Yuuri still wrapped an arm around him so he could limp without putting too much pressure on the wound.

 

“Next time, we’re wearing shoes.”

 

They grinned, and prepared themselves for the heat inside the house, and the moans and grunts they would surely hear again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo… until now it was all lighthearted and fun, which might have misled some of you into thinking that the tags were only a warning for some sinister backstory. That is not the case. Victor might be safe from harm most of the time, but he hasn’t stopped seeing his parents. He also doesn’t see his upbringing as abuse because he thinks everyone was raised this way. Soon we'll be getting deeper into that.
> 
>  
> 
> I apologize for the wait, and especially to those of you who are following my other two stories. They are of course not abandoned. However I haven't been in the best mindset these past few weeks, and on top of it, my dad had an accident (a truck slammed into his motorcycle). He's fine, but I'm in another country so even if he says he's not in trouble and often sends me and my sister pictures of his wounds with some joke on whatsapp, it still shook me a little bit. I guess it's just homesickness. It's been almost 2 years since I visited, after all.


	6. 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit is not apologizing, but he didn't do it on purpose...

Just as predicted, the weather on Sunday was atrocious. What Yuuri did not expect however, was to have to get out himself. So much for pitying his brother. Around eleven in the morning, just as he was glaring at a smirking and satisfied Chris while Victor tried to drown himself in a cup of tea, the angry blond kitten called him and complained about forgetting his lunch. Since Fate decided to be an ass, hail poured down on him as soon as he stepped outside. Victor, now very much awake, ran to him, loudly declaring his intention to join him for the day, and they both vainly attempted to dodge the icy attack from the sky. When they reached the rink after their tram and bus ride, they were soaked and shivering.

 

It turned out that Victor wanted to ask his boss if he could work during the off-season, so Yuuri decided to stay. He talked to Yakov, observed his brother’s progress on his programs and when prompted, corrected his form. When Yuri took a break to eat, the Japanese focused on Victor, who was now on the ice, and he found himself smiling. The older student got what he wanted. As he wouldn’t have much to do in the summer since very few people chose the ice when the lake was so warm, he would do odd jobs, like manning the reception, smoothing the ice and assisting skaters and their coaches. He would only give lessons if requested, but wouldn’t have a specific slot for it every day, unlike during the winter. He told Yuuri he would start the next evening.

 

In the meantime, he skated.

 

Yuuri, lost in thoughts, heard a cough, and looked at his brother.

 

“Not bad,” the blonde mused.

 

Curious, Yuuri raised his left eyebrow. Yuri nodded towards the ice. Victor was doing figure eights and looked elegant and natural on the rink, but surely it wasn’t enough to impress the Ice Tiger of Russia.

 

“What do you mean? Do you have a crush on him or something?”

 

If looks could kill, Yuuri would now be dead and buried.

 

“Just watch, moron!”

 

And then Yuuri understood. Victor launched himself into a flawless triple flip. Yuri’s eyes might as well just fall out of their socket. Before either of them could speak, Yakov grabbed the silver-haired boy’s arm and asked who trained him. Startled, Victor shook his head and replied in quite fluent Russian that he was just skating for fun and did not, in fact, have help. He had just been on the ice for years, learning from watching other skaters. Hearing this, Yuri huffed, bumped into him, and started his free program again, this time with renewed energy.

 

Yuuri stared at Victor’s blue eyes slightly too long before blushing. 

 

“Did I piss him off?” his crush asked, and Yuuri smirked.

“First rule of Yuri Handling: he’s always pissed off. I think seeing you jump so well made him realize he has no excuse if any element of his programs is sloppy.”

“Oooh!” Here it was. Victor’s heart-shaped smile. Yuuri wanted to hug him and never let go. “Yuuuuuri! It was good, right? Really good?”

“It was, and it was also very stupid. Correct me if I’m wrong but, you don’t have the necessary training, your legs might not be strong enough for jumps like that. They can easily cripple you. I also didn’t see you warm up that much. To top it all off, you probably learned alone, and had no one around you in case something happened.”

 

He scolded himself internally. He shouldn’t have done that, what if Victor hated him now? It wasn’t his place to berate him, he wasn’t even a skater himself and-

 

“Awww Yuuri! You’re worried about me!”

 

The bone-crushing hug Yuuri hoped for suddenly happened. Victor wrapped him in a warm embrace, and now Yuuri wondered who the real Victor was, and who was the mask. He had some idea about it and his guts told him he wasn’t wrong, but only time (or Chris) would confirm it.

 

He believed Victor wasn’t as confident as he seemed today. He knew he genuinely opened up to him about his childhood and there was no way his reactions to their discussion could have been faked. So, was the cheeky Mister “I-will-tell-you-what-lurks-in-the-water-so-you-never-want-to-swim-again”, his real self, when he felt comfortable? Or did he do that to protect himself after revealing what happened to him, and being told it was actually abuse? Given the kind of punishment he got as a kid, perhaps Victor had darker secrets and in that case, Yuuri would need to tread carefully. He refused to scare him away. 

 

“Of course I’m worried,” he groaned. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

 

He didn’t want the hug to end. Victor smelled like coconut (from his shampoo, which came in a bright pink bottle as Yuuri found out earlier), with a faint hint of sweat that didn’t actually bother Yuuri at all. Unfortunately, Yuuri’s phone started vibrating furiously in his pocket. Victor let go of him and went back on the ice.

 

Sitting down near his brother’s fully devoured lunch, he answered the call from his best friend.

 

“You have some explaining to do, Lord Katsuki-Baranovsky, Almighty Guardian of the Hamsters Realm.”

 

Yuuri loved Phichit. He really did. It didn’t mean he wasn’t greatly annoyed by his curious humor sometimes. They nicknamed themselves “lords” on a dare and spent two weeks addressing each other as if they met up at some aristocratic event a century ago. The joke evolved until they got nicknames from everyone at the Academy, and it stuck to them ever since.

 

“And how is Thailand, Lord Chulanont?”

“You forgot my titles!”

“You have nineteen of them, I’m not saying them and you can’t make me.”

“May the Great Rodent have mercy on your soul. Anyway. HI YUURI!”

 

With a smile, he returned the greeting, and still followed Victor’s movements on the ice. No jumps this time, thankfully.

 

“Thailand is too warm right now, if you’re really interested,” Phichit continued. “I was just hired by a local ballet company, they don’t care if I didn’t finish at Vaganova. They’re not exactly famous but it’s a start.”

“I’m proud of you.” 

 

And he was. Phichit never wanted to perform on the best stages of the world, he wanted to have fun and be creative. It often surprised Yuuri that such a carefree spirit survived Vaganova for six years. He found out, after the Thai boy went home, that failing his exams had lifted a considerable weight off his shoulders. He entered Vaganova for the knowledge. He stayed for his parents, who were so happy for him and worked so hard to afford sending their son to Russia for so long, and he also stayed for Yuuri.

 

“I’m not calling to talk about me though. You, sir, have been ignoring me for two weeks!”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri winced.

“I thought you’d call me to tell me all about your horrible roommates, or because Yuri finally ate his skates in a fit of blind fury, and what do I find out? You forgot me because there is a hot piece of ass around you, no law to punish you for biting into it, and you’re too obsessed to think.”

 

Instead of feeling guilty for keeping quiet despite promising himself he would call him several times already, Yuuri took a deep breath and asked, calmly:

 

“What piece of ass?”

“Silver hair. Blue eyes. Looking at you like you’re the light of his life. How dare you not tell me you have the most gorgeous boyfriend in the universe?”

“Not my boyfriend. How do you know about him?”

“Unlike you, the kitten keeps his Instagram up to date.”

 

Glancing nervously at Yuri’s phone, abandoned near the empty bento box, Yuuri bit his lower lip. 

 

“What kind of picture?” he asked, unwilling to check it himself for now.

“You, with your silver prince, and another guy, playing video games.”

 

Ah, that time. They spent an evening together to know each other better. Yuuri remembered that Victor laughed a lot, mostly because Yuri kept complaining and decided to rename Chris’ cat just to annoy the man. The poor creature was now known as Puma Tiger Scorpion. Yuuri also remembered snorting his Fanta up his nose when his brother announced it. Not a pleasant sensation.

 

“He doesn’t hate them as much as he wants us to believe if he took a picture,” he replied, smirking.

“Don’t try to change the subject. Spill.”

“Chris is the blond guy. He owns our house. The other one is Victor.” Knowing Phichit wouldn’t let him get away with so few details, he went on to explain how life was for all of them so far, adding the right amount of gossip material to satisfy him (Chris being a screamer was more than enough), and mentioning Victor’s evil deeds in the lake. Something he regretted instantly.

“Skinny dipping at midnight? I’m so proud of you!” Phichit exclaimed. “Tell me you accidentally touched his dick and I’ll bow to your superior skills.”

 

Yuuri’s face was now bright red and he let out a strangled cry that sounded suspiciously like his friend’s name.

 

“Did you at least take a peek?”

“Phichit. It was dark. Even if I wanted to I wouldn’t have seen anything.”

“Just wait until he gets out of the shower. It’s bound to happen.”

“Why would I want to look at his dick?”

“I’m going to ignore this question. It’s painful.”

“Whose dick are you talking about?”

 

Yuuri froze. His mind went blank and he stuttered, having no idea what he should say, as Victor took a seat next to him with an adorable smile.

 

There was nowhere to run, and Yuuri felt like his world just ended. He barely heard Phichit’s squeal and hysterical whispers of “who is it who is it oh my god tell me it’s him”. What could he do now? Hanging up would look suspicious and Phichit would most likely find a way to punish him for it. Laughing it off could work, but he wasn’t that good of an actor. He was just too mortified to even move, so how could he expect to be able to speak? 

 

“I’m sorry for interrupting. I’ll just remove my skates and I’ll be off. You’re coming home?” Victor continued.

 

Numb, Yuuri nodded. Phichit chose this moment to scream “HI VICTOR!”. Given Yuuri’s sudden reaction, the Thai easily guessed who was guilty of shutting his friend up. Yuuri muttered a “I’ll call you back” and found the strength to look at his housemate, who now seemed less enthusiastic. They stared at each other quietly, then Victor stood up and offered his hand to help him. Not that he needed it, but he still grasped it. He turned towards the ice, caught Yuri’s eye and told him they’d see him later, and just a few minutes later, they were standing under the heavy dark sky. 

 

It wasn’t raining anymore and the hail was gone. No ice remained on the ground, having melted away earlier.

 

Victor led Yuuri towards the lake. They walked slowly on the small path leading to the city center. When they walked by the University, Yuuri realized they were still holding hands, and he let go of Victor’s fingers, prompting him to start speaking.

 

“I was rude, I’m really sorry.”

 

This wasn’t what Yuuri was expecting. But what did he think would happen? He didn’t know Victor yet. Not enough. Not at all, perhaps. He focused on the wet stripe of dirt they were walking on. 

 

“Yuuri?”

 

He cleared up his throat and shook his head.

 

“I’m not angry,” he ended up murmuring. I just didn’t want you, of all people, to hear that.

“Still. Please, tell your friend I apologize, alright? And I’ll make sure to tell Chris that we should avoid strutting naked in the house, I didn’t know it would bother you so I’m glad we didn’t do it-”

“Wait, stop!” Yuuri blinked quickly. “Where is that coming from?”

“You’re uncomfortable with nudity, you said you don’t want to see someone’s dick. I forced you to swim naked with me. I’m so-”

“Victor, no, that’s not what I meant!” 

 

He bit his tongue. Did he sound too eager to deny his refusal to see the other man’s penis? He did, didn’t he? Thankfully, Victor didn’t smirk, and didn’t mock him. He simply stared straight ahead, ducking to avoid the low branches of a weeping willow, then stopping and facing Yuuri.

 

Behind him, more angry clouds gathered, rolling menacingly above the lake. The water took on an emerald green tint, foam riding on the edge of the small waves. Squinting, Yuuri could see the warning lights of a few harbors on the other side, letting sailors know they should head back to shore. Further away, the Alps looked almost ominous, their tips covered with eternal snow. However, what mattered was Victor, and right now, with this background, and the wind in his hair, he was otherworldly.

 

_ I’m in trouble _ , Yuuri thought, and it had nothing to do with the shame he felt just a few moments earlier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger :P Next chapter is underway and will be Victor's POV, picking up right after this one ended.
> 
> There will be no "Victor suddenly accepts to train under Yakov and beats Yuri at Worlds" or anything like that. Yes, he has talent, and yes, he spent years practicing jumps for the fun of it, but that's all there is to it. Which is also why his jump wasn't a quad :P

**Author's Note:**

>  ** _Find me here:_**  
>  Twitter: [@FuzzyJawa](https://twitter.com/FuzzyJawa)  
> Tumblr: [vivi1138](http://vivi1138.tumblr.com/) (main)/ [FluffySnowyEgret](http://fluffysnowyegret.tumblr.com/) (Yuri on Ice-centric)(I reblog stuff, I don't really post, Twitter is more active)  
> My other ongoing multi chapters YOI fics:  
> [Wishes and Thorns](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9136819/chapters/20761603)  
> [Pink Skate Guards and Bunk Beds](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9982199/chapters/22296806)  
> My completed multi chapters YOI fics:  
> [Eyes Like Frozen Water](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8761624/chapters/20082817)  
> [Tiger Stripes and Smartphones](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9452684/chapters/21385880)
> 
> I usually update once a week, however May/June is a very busy time for me and you might need to wait a bit more.


End file.
